Clinician perceptions of a changing hospital environment.

OBJECTIVE:The purposes of this study were to describe how a move into a new hospital influenced the work environment, how long it takes clinicians to adjust to such a significant change, and how much a new hospital work environment helps the practice shift toward patient- and family-centered care (PFCC).BACKGROUND:Creating a healthy work environment to keep patients safe and staff engaged in the mission of the organization is perhaps one of the most important roles of hospital administrators and nursing leaders.METHODS:A descriptive and comparative design was used to investigate how clinicians perceive, evaluate, and adjust to a new hospital environment, and how much a healthy work environment helps the practice shift toward patient- and family-centered care.RESULTS:Perceived stress was significantly higher than baseline 15 months after the move into the new hospital (p < 0.0000), and employees with 3 or more years of service had significantly higher stress than others (p < 0.000). Nurses had the second l...